When Roger Federer announced that he would be skipping the French Open and not taking any part in the clay-court season, the message was clear: I am going to do everything in my power to win Wimbledon.
However, when Federer, on his comeback from that short sabbatical, fell to Tommy Haas, who makes the 35-year-old Swiss look like a spring chicken, in the first round of the Stuttgart Open, there were worries over if the Swiss ace had taken the right call by taking that two-month break.
Then came the Halle Open, the tournament he had previously won eight times, and with it also came the unstoppable Federer.
After storming into the final, Federer taught one of the brightest young stars in the game – Alexander Zverev – a tennis lesson, while going on to clinch his ninth title in Halle.
"It's great to get off to a good start in the finals and then remind yourself that you've been playing good tennis all week," Federer said after his 6-1, 6-3 win over Zverev. "You start swinging freely, things start clicking, you realise your opponent is under pressure and you keep pressuring him.
"I'm like on 'Cloud Nine' right now after the ninth win here in Halle. It's a wonderful feeling to win here again because I'm not sure if I'll ever get a chance to win this again so it's important to enjoy this one."
How about that for a point!
What that title, particularly the manner in which he breezed past Zverev, did was serve notice to everyone on the circuit: The Stuttgart Open loss was a blip, and I am ready to take the Wimbledon title.
Nobody in the men's game has won more titles at the All England Club than Federer – he is currently tied on seven with the American great Pete Sampras – and nobody has looked more majestic on those green lawns than the man from Basel.
When Federer is in the zone, be it at 25 or 35, there is very little anyone can do, particularly when the surface is grass. Those serves of his carries some extra speed, the backhands seem to rip down the line better, the forehands are poetry in motion, while the volleys are put away with consummate ease whenever required.
As good as Rafael Nadal is playing, as well as Andy Murray does in his home Grand Slam, as desperate as Novak Djokovic might be to get back to his best and as good as the youngsters are looking right now, Federer and Wimbledon are a match made in heaven, and will anyone want to bet against the great man zooming all the way to an eighth title?
